


her strength comes from the sea, but she can move mountains

by azablue



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ba Sing Se, Badass Katara (Avatar), Badass Toph Beifong, Book 2: Earth (Avatar), Defeats sexism again, Gen, Katara stands up for herself, Sexism, Toph decides she likes Katara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:07:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27237007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azablue/pseuds/azablue
Summary: At first, Toph didn’t like Katara. Every day Katara decided when she would wake up and Katara told her to eat her vegetables and Katara complained about how she packed her things. It made her blood boil.Then they went to a dinner party with a crabby sexist old man.At first , Toph couldn’t believe the soft motherly figure she was traveling with and Katara from the Aang's story about their water bending master were the same person. Now she knows they are. Miles away from any snow or ice, Toph can imagine what it would’ve been like to be there. This was the renegade bender from the South who refused to be knocked down.OR: Toph and Katara go to a dinner party in Ba Sing Se to help with the invasion efforts, and Toph leaves knowing a more ~holistic~ version of Katara, a person who is motherly AND fought Pakku in the North. A girl who won't back down.
Relationships: Aang & Toph Beifong, Toph Beifong & Katara, Toph Beifong & Sokka
Comments: 28
Kudos: 99





	her strength comes from the sea, but she can move mountains

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I've decided to switch gears for a fic, my Sokka series isn’t done but I wanted to give Katara a turn at big feelings too. I’ve given her brother too much time in my limelight. 
> 
> Plus my girl is spectacular and I love writing her :) 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!

At first, Toph didn’t like Katara. She always nagged her and bossed the boys around and was _so_ judgmental. Toph had left home to _escape_ parents, but it seemed that one was already here. It was suffocating. Every day _Katara_ decided when she would wake up and _Katara_ told her to eat her vegetables and _Katara_ complained about how she packed her things. It made her blood boil.

And then they got stuck in the desert.

It turns out having a mom when you’re trapped in the desert is not the worst idea, especially when the resident plan guy is high and the Avatar hates your guts. So, Toph cut Katara some slack. She tried her best not to complain when she nagged in the weeks after, but _only_ because she was the only reason they were all still alive. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t annoying.

When they got to Ba Sing Se, Toph though Miss Queenie would feel right at home. It was big, lousy, terrible city with lousy terrible rules. Once they _finally_ had an “audience” wit,h the Earth King, Toph was getting dragged along to “official” meetings and fancy parties and official meetings disguised as fancy parties, all in the name of “gaining support for the invasion.” But she knew better. Half of the stuffed shirts at these parties weren’t even _apart_ of the war effort, they were just invited for the spectacle. The _Avatar_ , a blind earth bender, and two kids from across the world had shown up on the Earth King’s doorstep. She was very familiar with being paraded around like a pet, and it was a feeling she did not enjoy. Sokka was less experienced with it all, insisting that everyone be on their _best behavior_ at _every_ event so that they convince the few generals actually in attendance to get involved with the invasion. To top it all off, Katara made them wear fancy clothes. Obviously. Toph didn’t get what the big deal was, what a couple of kids wore or how they acted shouldn’t be the driving force for these _adults_ to end the war. But whatever, no one listens to the blind girl.

Toph didn’t mind her role too much though, she got to stare off into space and eat good food while Snoozles calmly explained all the reasons why grown ass adults should save the world. Because of all the officials still left on Sokka’s list, for the next few days the group decided to divide and conquer, getting to as many meetings and parties as possible. Tonight was the first time they split up, and Toph was _really_ hoping to get paired with Sokka. She knew he’d never put her and Aang, while in combat he was her preferred partner (besides herself), with everything else they weren’t exactly the most… productive duo. But Sokka barely needed a partner, this was _his_ plan, he always did most of the talking. Together they would be great. But sadly, he decided _the Avatar_ needed him more tonight, leaving her with Miss Bossy Britiches. Great.

Toph and Katara were sent to a “dinner party” at the home of a high powered government official, Councilmen Wei, whose endorsement, according to Sokka, would help with approval within government. Two were seated across from each other at one of the greatest, most pretentious, tables Toph had ever felt. It reminded her of home. Wei was the same as every other crabby old guy they’d met during their stay: rich, boring, and traditional. There were a few other people at the dinner table as well, other nobles who had never stepped foot in the lower ring who had jumped at the chance to meet the Avatar. Toph tried to hide her delight when she heard the disappointment in their voices when they realized the _god among men_ would not be in attendance. Katara was doing a fairly good job, Toph decided, sharing the plan in a way that even these lily livers could undertsand. Although, Wei kept interrupting. Over and over he asked stupid, accusatory questions which she was _about_ to answer. Toph could feel the impatience seeping from Katara’s voice each time it happened. After the third time, it appeared she had had enough.

“You interrupted me,” Katara said matter-o-factly.

 _What,_ Toph thought, almost chocking on her drink.

“I’m sorry?” The Councilmen asked, dumbfounded.

 _Apparently,_ Toph concluded, _the etiquette in Ba Sing Se is the same as it is in Gaoling._ In noble circles Katara’s behavior was _unthinkable_. _  
_  
“I wasn’t done speaking,” Katara replied calmly, turning in her chair to more directly face the Councilmen, “what I wanted to tell you was that we already know the locations of their defense.” Toph could feel the heart rate of everyone in the room quicken, except Katara’s. Hers stayed steady. Wei guffawed.

“I will not be vilified in my own hall, especially by someone so unladylike,” He replied smugly.

“Unladylike?” Katara scoffed, “I’m sorry _sir_ I didn’t realize speaking up for myself was so _terribly_ dishonorable.” Toph impulsively winced at her remark. She wanted to cheer for Katara, or at least laugh, but this hall was _far_ too much like the one at home, and old, drilled, borderline-abusive habits die hard. She sat still.

“ _Here_ young lady,” Wei said pointedly, “we treat others with respect, you should thank me for not calling for your removal.” The Coucilmen sat back in his chair, seemingly satisfied. Toph wasn’t sure what she was expecting Katara’s answer to be, but certainlywas not what actually happened.

Katara laughed, a low, menacing laugh.Toph didn’t think she could do that.

“Do you know who I am?” Katara questioned.  
  
“ _Excuse_ me?”  
  
“Do you know,” she said slowly, “who I am.”  
  
“Katara. You travel with the Avatar.” Councilmen Wei spat, fully fed up with the teenager in front of him.  
  
“ _Master_ Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, I _train_ the Avatar,” Katara said, standing up, “And unlike you _Councilmen_ , I've worked for my title!" 

Toph didn’t mind that the group had already gone on tons of adventures before scooping her up, but she didn’t like that they _never_ talked about them, most namely, what happened at the North Pole. To get the fully story of _that,_ she’d have to do her own digging. From the little Aang had told her and the whispered rumors she’d heard from the servants at home, she was able to put the pieces together. The gist, she had figured out, was that Sokka fell in love with a girl that became the moon and some asshole taught Katara and Aang how to water bend, but not after she’d fought him. She battled a master without any training. At the time, Toph couldn’t believe the soft motherly figure she was traveling with and Katara from Aang’s story were the same person. Now she knows they are. Miles away from any snow or ice, Toph can imagine what it would’ve been like to be there. This was the renegade bender from the South who refused to be knocked down.

“This is absurd. I will not take slander from a _water peasant_!” Wei stood up, from where his voice was coming from and the faint outline of his figure she could see with her feet, Toph could tell that he was physically towering over Katara. It didn’t seem to phase her. 

“Oh I’m a peasant because I didn’t let you interrupt me?” Katara said, mirroring his intensity, “How _dare_ you. Where I come from _sir_ being a lady means a hell of a lot more than whatever sexist definition you came up with!” The glasses on the table shook slightly as she spoke. The other party guests, who hadn’t spoken or moved since they started fighting, were now trying (and failing) to steady their glasses. Toph could feel Katara’s heart beat rising the same way it did right before they went into a fight, and presently, she didn’t know if that was completely off the table. It would be such a _pity_ to destroy this house. The room was silent, awaiting the Councilmen's response. Toph could cut the tension with a knife.

“Leave.” Wei announced, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
“You don’t have to tell me, we’re going,” Katara spat back, gathering her things and waiting for Toph, who was more than happy to leave, at the doorway. Before they left Katara took one last look at the exasperated Councilmen and his distressed guests. “We’re still at war because of men like you, not women like me.”

The room was silent as they left.

The walk home was long, they had gotten there in the Councilmen's carriage, but that was decidedly no longer an option. The two walked back in silence, Toph didn’t need to feel Katara’s heart beating out of her chest to know she needed some time to cool off. When they arrived home the boys welcomed them back with obliviously high spirits, their meeting had gone _perfectly_.

“How’d it go?” Aang asked, floating down from _somewhere_ to give them both a hug.

“Is he on board?” Sokka added. Katara sighed, kicking off the uncomfortable shoes which Toph had taken off the second they left Councilmen Crabby’s house.

“Terrible. Wei wouldn’t stop interrupting me and-“ Katara took a breath, collecting herself before responding despondently, “I totally blew it. He was the worst but I should’ve just sucked it up. The invasion is more important.”

Toph paused for a moment, mulling over the evening. She had been taught that to be feminine was to be _nothing_. She can still remember her mother’s voice as she did her hair, pinning it back into delicate designs to be shown off to their guest that evening. _To be a lady is to_ st _ay still, never speak unless spoken to, and never, ever talk back._ This was what she was taught. But her mother was wrong. Katara showed her that. Katara was simultaneously all the things she was taught to do and not to do. She was loud and motherly and brash and _girly_ , all at the same time.

Katara, against all odds, took up _space_.

“That asshole wasn't even gonna fight, he was basically unimportant And you didn’t ruin anything you stood up for yourself.” Toph said, punching Katara’s arm,“you were a badass.”

She decided that night that she liked Katara.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> (I know that the Earth Kingdom was a monarchy, but they have the "Council of Five" and the King was practically a figurehead, so I'm sure their were other nobles/officials with positions)
> 
> One more thing: 
> 
> Toph and Katara are such different people with such different backgrounds, values, etc. and it makes sense that they would fight often, but I also know that they care for each other with such a ferocity that isn't often touched on. I wanted to write something that would kind of show Toph "seeing" Katara in a different light and starting to respect/like/understand her more before book 3. I also know that while Toph often openly rejects her upbringing, being raised with that level of emotional abuse would probably make it difficult for her to step up/defend Katara in this moment in particular. I also really liked the idea of Toph hearing about Katara fighting Pakku and basically everything that happened in the North and being like "im sorry WHAT." 
> 
> Idk I also just like the idea of Katara being a role model to Toph in ways neither of them expected. 
> 
> That's all I hope you liked it :) It was a quick one but I've been super busy and I just HAD to get this idea down 
> 
> \- Azalea


End file.
